Supraglottic airway devices (SADs) are increasingly being employed for airway management ahead of conventional endotracheal intubation. Moreover, the newer 2nd generation SADs have additional mechanisms for protecting against aspiration [1]. The aforementioned advantages of SAD have indeed widened the scope of their use, both inside and outside the operation theatre [2,3]. That being said, the correct placement of the device is of utmost importance in order to establish a reliable ventilation [1]. In this context, successful placement of i-gel™ has drawn peculiar attention owing to the potential difficulties encountered while negotiating the SAD across the oral cavity [4].

The unique shape, texture and size of the non-inflatable cuff of i-gel™ can result in obstruction of the airway during its’ placement [4]. In order to circumvent this problem, various techniques have been evaluated with the goal of improving the first-attempt success rate (FASR) while minimising associated airway-morbidity [4,5]. The use of tongue depressor (TD) as an aid to improve SAD placement is another new technique, gaining attention [6,7]. The index case-series features the utility of this novel technique for i-gel™ placement in a cohort of patients with higher Modified Mallampati grade (MMPG III/IV).